SarkariPYQ

SSC MTS 2024 PYQ — Question 88

SSC MTS - 16/10/2024 - (9:00 AM - 11:00 AM) • English • Q88

Back to paper

In the following passage, some words have been deleted. Read the passage carefully and select the most appropriate option to fill in each blank.

She went on a quest for ancient things ___(1)____ could have a soul of their own, something ___(2)___ Aladdin's lamp that was home to a genie. She searched flea markets, met with art dealers and even went to excavation sites. She ___(3)__ searching for something that would have seen some ancient history when an ___(4)___, ___(5)___, ___(6)____ apothecary table caught her attention. It was perhaps owned by a __(7)____, ___(8)___, __(9)____ woman who was a wise medic but was deemed a witch.

Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank number 3.

Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B

Explanation

The correct answer is option 2 i.e. was.

Context: The sentence is in past tense, describing her search in the past. The action of searching already happened.

Meaning of the words:

  • is – present tense, not suitable here.

  • was – past tense, matches the context of the story.

  • has been – present perfect tense, not needed for this simple past narrative.

  • were – plural past tense, does not match the singular subject “She”.

Correct word: was

Reason: The story narrates events that already happened, so past tense “was searching” is correct. Using “is” would make the sentence grammatically wrong in context.

Final Sentence: She was searching for something that would have seen some ancient history when an old, worn, wooden apothecary table caught her attention.

Hence, the chosen option is correct.